Sonya Hartnett - Of A Boy

Three children have gone missing. One day, they went to the store for their mother, and they never returned. Adrian, a small boy of nine, watches the news story on television with a distinct lack of interest. Previously, he was learning about a strange sea monster, now, three children he doesn't know. The adults, naturally, are worried, but he doesn't know why.

This is the premise of Hartnett's 2002 novel, Of a Boy. The concept of a town struggling to fathom the horror of children disappearing is very good - sadly, the rest of the novel does not live up to this promise. Rather, this story is used as cohesive glue, a wrap for the novel that has little plot, meaning, or necessity.

Adrian is a shy, withdrawn boy. His mother, Sookie, was forced to abandon him to the authorities due to unclear circumstances that are only hinted at through overheard conversations and Adrian's foggy, fading memories. He now lives with his grandmother, Beattie, who serves purely and only as a 'grumpy grandmother' figure in the story. Beattie, like the rest of the characters, is a one dimensional caricature, a cardboard character whose existences serves its immediate point, but no other. Neither she nor anyone else - with the slight possibility of Adrian excepted - is capable of existing outside the narrow boundaries of the novel. Adrian's uncle, Rory, is agoraphobic, and that's about it. There are some snippets of his history, but they are there only to explain his 'quirky' attitude and agoraphobia. The same applies to the other characters.

We are not drawn into the world, because there is no world to draw us in. Because Adrian is so self-absorbed, we are not given much of a sense of place or time unless it is necessary. A cherub bowl catches his eye in one scene - in another, it is directly and exclusively used to extend plot. The same occurs at school. When a character will play a fundamental, usually immediate role in advancing the story, then they are named. When they do not, they are not. This creates a 'movie' feel, in that we know which characters are important, because they are played by a big name movie star. In Of a Boy, we know they are important because they are named. This cheapens the realism of the novel and makes it more structures and false.

There are moments of tenderness. The missing children serves as an interesting diversion, and a way for the narrator to directly speak to the reader. These parts are far and away the best of the story, and it is a shame that nothing is really done with them. Every time the narrator leaves Adrian and comments upon the situation - or lack thereof - of the children, and of the town, we are given a broad perspective that places the story somewhere. This is important, but sadly the technique is not used enough, nor is there much interaction between the story lines. Rather, we are cheated several times, when characters and situations mimic the details given of the missing children and the suspect, the 'Thin Man'. A mysterious young girl moves across the road, we think she is one of the missing kids - and the narrator helps us think that, because her origins and parentage are shrouded in so much mystery. A device such as that only works once, and then we realise that we aren't going to find out anything, and if we do, that we should question not the story, but the author. A lack of trust in the reality of the situation is created, and this is unfortunate and undesirable.

The ending is not predictable, and is actually very good. Yet, again, it is weakened by a lack of cohesion to the story and to the characters. And the very last section, a two page metaphor for death, is poor and absolutely unnecessary. Ending before this would have made the story much greater.

Hartnett has a tendency to use poor metaphors, or weak word choices. One such is one the first page: 'the sky was very blue; the sun felt soft as a cat'. As a metaphor, it doesn't work - it is too mixed to make enough sense to convey what is meant. Weak writing abounds, with sentences that are difficult to pinpoint the exact word or word choice that deflates the impact, but that are noticeable while reading. Perhaps certain sections were over-written or work-shopped too much?

Of a Boy, for all its flaws, is a worthwhile read. The 'missing child' sections are very good, and the surety of the narrator in these scenes speak of greater things to come. Perhaps this book should be considered a placeholder, a stepping stone for Hartnett's literary talent. We shall see.

Other titles by Sonya Hartnett under review include:
---Any Dog